Better Together
by charlibear13
Summary: When a case lays a little to close to home for the boys how will they deal will they be there for each other or will they turn on each other.


**Well Saturday's episode was just amazing Richard Winsor performance was just out of this world. Very talented actor not to mention very easy on the eyes…..**

 **Anyway this is my take on the episode big shout out to CBloom who always writes amazing stories. I always look forward to reading her stories. Sorry I haven't had time to review a lot of the stories you have all written over the past month, I will get around to it. I do always read them most of the time when I should be working sssshhhh don't tell the boss**

Cal threw the packet of morphine to Ethan and went on triaging his patient. Ethan came to find him in RECUS 2 later and smiled before speaking "thanks for the help earlier, with the morphine, it was a good shout"

Cal smiled "your welcome nibbles, how's your patient?"

It was shortly after that they discovered Cal's patient was the son of Ethan's and after getting the all clear from Cal his patient was in a cubicle with his mum, Cal was about to go onto the next patient when Ethan caught him

"Ah Cal, can you help me with this patient" Cal looked at the notes Ethan and Tess had been looking at and looked up his brother to anyone else Ethan probably looked like a concerned doctor for his patient to Cal he looked like his lost little brother dealing with the loss of their mum.

Cal nodded and walked into the cubicle to speak to them with Ethan, he let Ethan do the talking at first only jumping in when Ethan wavered

"Can I ask why it is you want to go to Finland, your mother isn't in any fit state travel Dr Hardy is right about that"

The son nodded for them to follow him and Ethan allowed him use of the computer to show them the medical trials and the clinic they were going to

Cal and Ethan shared a knowing glance and Ethan began to explain that it was hoax, Cal and Ethan both knew their short comings as Doctors while Ethan was book Savvy Cal was Patient Savvy reading a situation before it happened and he stepped into to calm the situation down when he felt the young man was getting riled up.

Cal and Ethan remained quiet when the kid showed them the cigarette burns Cal recognizing them straight away and he glanced at Ethan they both knew what they were even without medical training they each had a few matching scars themselves Cal more so than Ethan. Cal glanced at Ethan who was absently rubbing an old cigarette scar on his arm Cal stepped closer to him and Ethan smiled a little

Cal got the young man calmed down and they watched as he went back in to sit with the only mum the kid knew.

Cal spoke up "maybe we should do them a scan, if they see it maybe it'll stop them, because if she wants to leave there is nothing we can do to stop it" seeing the look of devastation on Ethan's face he placed an arm over his shoulder

"I know it sucks, but there really isn't anything we can do, perhaps if they saw it they'd change their mind"

Ethan nodded and walked into the cubicle with Cal to explain what they were going to do.

When they showed them the scan and saw that they still wanted to leave Cal put a hand on Ethan shoulder "Ethan can I talk to you outside"

Ethan feeling defeated followed him out and Cal led them to a quiet area "I'm not going to let her travel in pain Ethan, she wants to spend the remainder of the time she has left on holiday with her boys not cooped up in some hospice"

Ethan shook Cal's arm off him and spoke in a deathly quiet tone "you think I did wrong by mum by letting her go into a hospice? Is that it, because I was the one that was with her all the time Cal, you were there at the end but I was the one that saw her through all the illness Cal, and I couldn't cope on my own, I had no choice"

Cal let him continue before speaking calmly "you need to let me take lead on this Ethan, your too close to this case, I think you did amazing job with mum, and I know I wasn't there for either of you, but this is not our mum Ethan we have to let them make their own decision"

Ethan knew Cal was right and he knew Cal wasn't having a dig at him but he was upset and logic didn't come into it he looked at Cal "I did what I thought was right with mum not like you were around to ask Caleb I'm sorry if you don't agree with it, when were you ever around for us"

Caleb tried to calm Ethan down but he could see he was getting himself all upset he spoke quietly to Ethan aware there were a few nurses around looking "I looked after mum and you from the time dad left until the time I left for college Ethan, I know it wasn't always easy, I'm not saying it was wrong I'm saying that for this family it has to be their choice, I won't let her be in pain alright, he gently placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder okay?"

Ethan could see that Cal was being sincere and he gave Ethan enough time to compose himself before he removed his hand he nodded before answering Cal "ok, you're right, you can take the lead"

Cal nodded going back into the cubicle to explain what he was going to do Ethan followed him needing to be near to Cal, this case was a little too close to home and as much as Cal would tell you Ethan was strong one times like this proved to Ethan how much he needed his big brother, they complimented each other.

Ethan and Cal stood shoulder to shoulder as the boys helped their mother into the car, everything after that was blur as she was wheeled back into the hospital Cal and Ethan sharing a knowing look, this family would not be going to Finland at least not together, the end was close.

Ethan stayed in the room with Jerome as Cal went to look for Aaron and try to get him to come back in.

Ethan felt sick, he hadn't been there when their mum took her last breath and at the time he hated Cal for being the one there, but now he hated himself even more for hating Cal, he had often wandered how Cal had been with their mother and watching him with Julie he knew that he would have handled it better than Ethan ever could.

He felt Cal come up behind him "I miss mum" and he struggled to get the one word answer out past the lump in his throat "yeah" he tried to hide the tear the rolled down his cheek but he knew Cal had seen it when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder he turned and Cal nodded letting Ethan know that he would finish up in here.

Ethan left the room and went straight to the staffroom trying to get his emotions in check before he finished the rest of his shift.

Cal made a mental note to not go to the pub this evening after shift and instead find Ethan and have a boy's night, for some reason he felt he needed to be close to Ethan though a thousand wild horses wouldn't drag that information from him.

Ethan and Cal were the last ones getting changed in the staff room and Cal smiled at Ethan "tough day huh" Ethan nodded before answering

"So we going to the pub?"

Cal laughed "we? Ah I was thinking of giving the pub a miss tonight maybe going to see mum unless you want to go to the pub"

Ethan nodded following Cal to his car. After making a stop for flowers the brothers shoulder to shoulder made a forlorn picture as they headed to the gravestone of their mother.

The flowers lay on the grave when Cal started talking "it wasn't your fault you weren't there at the end Ethan, Mum knew that and so do I, you cared so much for her when she was alive Ethan, more than you should have had to I should have been here for the both of you"

Somewhere during Cal's speech Ethan's head had dropped to his chest and tears were streaming down his face he spoke softly "I should have been there, I could have been there I sat in the car for 20 minutes outside the hospice I just couldn't bring myself to go I'm glad it was you, she needed you I needed you"

Cal sighed "Ethan if the past year has taught me anything its taught me that we need each other, it's like you said little bro, superman is nothing without Clarke Kent, and I need you as much if not more, I'm not the strong one Ethan you are"

Ethan shook his head and smiled through his tears "I think your wrong about that but I agree that we are better together"

The sight of tears on Ethan's face had haunted Cal all day since he had seen that one roll down his face in the hospital and he gave in to his big brother instinct he moved forward taking Ethan into a hug

There would always be mistakes, petty arguments that would drive a wedge between them, but there would always be love there, pulling them back and making them realize that together they could conquer the world one day at a time.

Ethan sniffed and Cal pulled away from the hug as Ethan spoke "I could really use a beer"

Cal smiled "one step ahead of you Clarke, there is beer in the fridge at home with our names on and die hard marathon just waiting for us to get the party started"

Ethan groaned but followed Cal smiling, when they got home they would raise a glass to their mum who gave them everything but most importantly each other.


End file.
